Violent movies lower violent crime?

Over the last decade, they say, the showing of violent films in the United States has decreased assaults by an average of about 1,000 a weekend, or 52,000 a year.

It has been accepted that violent media influences violent behavior, yet a study by economists found trends that violent movies lower violent crime.

Taking a decade of national crime reports, cinema ratings and movie audience data, economists found that after popular violent films are shown there is no rise in crimes from the initial hours the movie ends to as far as weeks. The explanation for the phenomenon is the theory that violent movies attract those likely to commit crime thus placing them in a non-violent environment.

The researchers noted their findings do not refute the studies correlating violent behavior with violent media nor does it explain the long term effects of exposure to violent media.

To go so far as to say that these findings are flawed is exaggerated but its premises meet many contradictions based on violent movies that have been released in the past. One notable movie "Natural Born Killers" is a prime example that refutes the overall idea that violent movies decrease violent crime. The movie "Natural Born Killers" has been in the spotlight of many notorious murders. "Natural Born Killers" was said to be influenced in previous murders and killing sprees including the Columbine High School massacre to a recent case of Eric Tavulares who strangled his girlfriend after watching some of the movie.

Do violent movies take some potential violent people off the streets? Yes. But do violent movies influence others to commit crime? Yes. "Natural Born Killers" is not the only movie that has been criticized for influencing those who have commit homicide, thus it is difficult to confidently say that violent movies lower crime.

Economists Say Movie Violence Might Temper the Real Thing